Profilers and Agents
by Xx-Erin-xX-AthrunxCagallifan
Summary: Gibbs is having trouble with a case, a very tough case. Vance decides its time to step in and he calls the BAU. The team has a hard time getting along with Gibbs and his agents but can they put aside differences in time to stop a psycho from killing again
1. A Tough Case

**Heya guys! This is only short, yet, because it's the prologue of a story that I'm currently working on. Criminal Minds is my favourite, favourite, favourite crime drama and NCIS is my second favourite. I love the characters in both (I miss JJ! And Gideon! (which is why JJ is going to be in this story, no complaints, I refuse to write a CM fanfiction without JJ in it)) and I've always wondered how they might interact with each other so I cooked up this little baby and I'm going to be paying her special care. I see lots of research on the horizon for me!**

**Anywho R&R and enjoy!  
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NCIS, Washington D.C.**

Leon Vance, Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service stood behind his desk staring out his window, his expression one of extreme frustration. He had his arms folded and was chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thought.

Behind him his door opened and Vance turned around to look at Gibbs who was quietly closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me, Leon?" Gibbs asked.

"Anything?" Vance questioned.

Gibbs shook his head. "I feel like a break is close." He sighed. "I don't know where we're going here but I can feel it."

"That's not good enough," Vance sighed. "I'm going to have to call the FBI."

"No." Gibbs eyed Vance darkly. "We don't need any help from the FBI, Leon, we're fine."

"No we aren't, Gibbs. We can't do this on our own."

Gibbs sighed and rubbed his head. "Give me one more week Leon and I think I'll have this case. Do not call the FBI. Please."

Vance nodded reluctantly and Gibbs smiled before leaving the office quietly. Vance sat down behind his desk and looked at the phone. A non-verbal agreement didn't count as an agreement. It wasn't as though he didn't have faith in Gibbs and his team, it was just that he had faith in this killer to keep avoiding them. They did need help. And he wanted the best help.

It was up to the director of the FBI to give him the best help.

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* * *

Behavioural Analysis Unit, Quantico**

JJ pushed open the doors of the Bullpen and walked through it with intent, ignoring the cheery morning greetings of Derek Morgan and Emily Prentiss. They frowned at each other as JJ walked along the railing and into the briefing room.

She paused at the sight of Hotch and Rossi in discussion but they both looked at her so she held out the case.

"The Director called me," JJ explained as Hotch took the case file with a frown. "He says this is urgent."

"Where is it?" Rossi asked as his unit chief opened the file and looked at the first photo that was on the inside cover.

"Here in DC, actually," JJ explained. " We're going to NCIS and we're going to be there for a while, it's not a very good case."

"NCIS?" Hotch asked. "We've never worked a case with the NCIS before."

"Well according to the Director he was asked by Director Vance to send a team to help and the Director chose us," JJ explained. "They've been chasing this guy for over a month. His first victim was a Marine and then after that he killed two civilians who had nothing to do with the navy before killing a Petty Officer on his way home from a bar. The way the victims were selected makes NCIS think that this UnSub wanted them to investigate, not anybody else."

Rossi and Hotch exchanged raised eyebrows.

"How many victims altogether?" Hotch asked.

"Eight: one marine, two naval officers, four civilians and one NCIS agent." JJ bit her lip. "Director Vance said that they're getting nowhere with the investigation."

"What's the MO?" Rossi asked.

"Four gunshot wounds to the chest with a 47 Magnum and then one post mortem shot to the head. All shots were at point blank range and all victims have been DOA."

"Looks like we're going to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service," Rossi shrugged. "Gather the team."

"Vance wants us there ASAP, I'll brief the team in the cars. Vance wants us to bring our tech with us, we'll be using their computers apparently." JJ shrugged as Hotch frowned.

"Alright, go and get them JJ," Hotch told her. He turned to Rossi as she left and they both looked at the photograph. "This looks like a typical serial killer. How haven't they found him yet?"

"No serial killer is the same as another, Aaron, you know that."


	2. The Teams

**Heya guys! I found a quote that suits the story since it is Criminal Minds tradition to include quotes so here's the one for this story. It may not make sense now but it should give you a hint as to the UnSub so I hope you like it. Oh and I apologise for any errors in this chapter, I'm feeling very lazy and could not be bothered doing a really thorough proofread. I hope you like it, I do. I especially like the last thing Director Vance says to Gibbs when they're talking in his office :)**

**R&R pretty please. Enjoy :)  
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**_He who does not punish evil commands it to be done._****  
Leonardo Da Vinci**

**NCIS, Washington D.C.**

Director Vance stood waiting as half of the BAU team walked out of the elevator. JJ was in the lead and she led Hotch, Rossi and Reid up to director Vance. He frowned.

"Where's the rest of your team?" he asked, confused.

"Coming," Rossi replied simply. "Certain team members have an aversion to travelling in packed elevators."

The elevator dinged again and Morgan, Prentiss and Garcia joined the rest of their team as JJ shook the Director's hand.

"Director Vance, I'm Jennifer Jareau, we spoke on the phone," JJ introduced herself. "This the team: our Unit Chief SSA Aaron Hotchner, as well as SSAs David Rossi, Emily Prentiss and Derek Morgan, this is Dr Spencer Reid and our technical analyst Penelope Garcia."

Vance shook each member's hand and smiled.

"I thank you all for coming," he said kindly. Looking at his face Reid deduced that he seemed very tired. Sharing a look with Morgan it was clear that he thought so too. "I asked the Director to give me his best team and he recommended your team."

"Thank you for inviting us," Hotch responded.

"Anything you need just ask," Vance added. "My team should be back shortly. They're interviewing a family member but they should be back soon."

"That's fine, in the mean time we'll set up. We need a whiteboard and a desk, that's all."

"I'm sure we can do that." Vance called out to someone and requested them to find a large whiteboard for the team and Vance indicated a desk that they could use.

"Reid, once we get set up I want you to start a geographic profile for me," Hotch ordered as they moved towards the area that Vance had indicated.

"Can do," Reid replied, shifting his bag on his shoulder.

"JJ, I want a list of all the victims family members, Garcia I want paper trails on all of the victims," Hotch added. "Prentiss, Morgan when the NCIS team arrives I want you to find out everything you can about each of the crime scenes. I want photos, I want reports and I want you to go out and see each of them as quickly as you can. Start with the most recent, if there are any clues that the others missed that'll be where you're most likely to find them."

"Yes, sir," Prentiss replied while Morgan nodded.

"What about us, Hotch?" Rossi asked.

"We'll-" Hotch was cut off by the elevator opening and four people walking out looking rather exhausted.

The team all watched them, not saying anything. The group of four stood and looked at the FBI agents in confusion.

"Oh," Prentiss breathed.

"Yeah," Reid replied. It looked as though the NCIS agents had no idea that the BAU would be assisting in their investigation. They all looked up at Director Vance who met the eyes of the agent clearly in charge.

"What are you doing Leon?" the man in front asked.

Director Vance walked down to meet the NCIS team as they dropped their things on their desks and looked at the BAU members curiously. There was only one woman in sight and she looked Middle Eastern.

"I said-" the man was cut off by his director.

"I know what you said Gibbs, but we need help," Vance explained. "This is the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit."

"I'm SSA Aaron Hotchner," Hotch explained, walking forward with his hand extended. "This is my team and we'll be working with your team. We don't come here to undermine anybody's authority."

The man named Gibbs eyed Hotch warily and then shook his hand.

"I'm Special Agent-"

"Jethro Gibbs," Reid interrupted. "I've heard about you. You were an ex-marine who became an NCIS investigator."

Gibbs and Hotch both looked at Reid who shuffled his feet, looking embarrassed. Morgan rubbed his head while the others just shook their heads.

"How do you know who I am?" Gibbs questioned.

"I've…" Reid looked at his friends and then back at Gibbs. "I've spoken to FBI agents that you've worked with." He looked a little embarrassed and Rossi shook his head.

Gibbs looked at Hotch with raised eyebrows. "Who's the kid?" he asked.

"That's Dr Spencer Reid, our expert on…" Hotch paused.

"Everything," Morgan supplied, nudging Reid playfully. Reid blushed slightly, embarrassed.

"Right." Gibbs smiled slightly.

"These are SSAs Rossi, Morgan and Prentiss, Penelope Garcia our technical analyst and Jennifer Jareau our liaison with the media, police and families of victims," Hotch explained.

"This is my team," Gibbs explained. "Special Agents Anthony DiNozzo, Ziva Da'vid and Timothy McGee. McGee is our computer guy, maybe he can corroborate with your tech girl."

"That sounds good, Garcia, I want you to work with McGee," Hotch told her. He looked at Gibbs. "We're here to help you so anything you need…"

"Likewise." Gibbs looked at Vance. "A word Director?"

Vance tilted his head and he walked away with Gibbs leaving the two teams together as they walked into the Director's office and shut the door. Hotch looked at Rossi who shrugged. Neither of them felt like being caught in any kind of political games.

The silence was interrupted when two agents brought the whiteboard over for the team and Garcia was given a table to set up her computers.

"Don't you have an actual tech room?" she questioned.

"This will do for now, Garcia," Hotch told her before any of the NCIS agents could respond. "Just set up and get to work. JJ, Reid."

"Ah yeah, can I have a map of the D.C. area?" Reid asked one of the agents.

"What do you need that for?" one of the agents asked, walking over.

"Geographic profiling," Reid explained as he was handed the map and he stuck it up on the board and grabbed a texta and started to look at the map. "We use to locate the UnSub's safety zone."

"I'm sorry, _what_ zone?" the woman, Ziva asked.

"We're profilers," Prentiss explained as they pulled out a folder and Morgan started rattling off names to Reid who marked them in two different coloured permanent markers. "We don't find the bad guys the way you do."

"A safety zone is the place where an UnSub feels most comfortable," Reid explained while making marks.

The two agents exchanged looks and Prentiss stood up and offered her hand.

"I'm Emily Prentiss," she introduced.

"Ziva Da'vid," Ziva replied, accepting the handshake. Her partner smiled.

"I'm very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, you can call me Tony," he introduced. Prentiss accepted his handshake and he waved his hand at the whiteboard. "What do profilers _do_ exactly?"

"We think like the criminals," Rossi explained. He and Hotch were sitting down, looking over their file. "If you don't mind, would you be able to bring us your case files? We've only got a brief overview and to create a profile we need the full file."

"Sure," Tony replied. "McSquizzy, bring the good FBI agents our case file."

The BAU team all stopped what they were doing and watched as the computer guy, McGee went off. They figured it must have been a nickname because they went back to work. Reid stopped his mapping though and turned to look at the two agents left.

"When your boss comes back, do you think it would be possible for me to go through the letters that you've received?" Reid asked.

"They're in evidence," Ziva explained. "Why?"

"Reid's very good at linguistics," Morgan explained from where he was sitting on the table. "He can tell you a lot about your UnSub from their writing."

"We know enough about him," Tony scowled. "He's one sick son of a bitch. But we'll ask Gibbs when he comes back." He looked up at the director's office and Morgan and Reid exchanged looks.

"Is there a problem?" Reid asked.

"Gibbs didn't want the Director to bring in the FBI," Ziva explained. "This, _UnSub_ as you call him, made it personal when he left a note for Gibbs at the third killing."

"The third victim was a member of NCIS?" JJ questioned, looking at her list.

"That's right," Ziva replied. "He was taunting Gibbs. He wants to catch him."

"We understand that," Morgan replied. "And we're just here to help."

"Gibbs knows that," Tony explained. "He's just… stubborn."

The BAU team looked up at the office, worried. They all knew how hard it was to work with cops who didn't actually want them there. This was not going to be an easy case.

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"I asked you not to do this, Leon," Gibbs sighed. "And the _BAU_? Why them?"

"The Director of the FBI recommended them," Vance explained. "Those people have solved nearly every case they've taken on. Their record is stellar and I've done a check on them. That young boy, he's only twenty-seven."

"Twenty seven?" Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "So he just joined?"

"No, he's been in the Bureau for six years, and all of those six have been in BAU. He was handpicked by one of the lead profilers," Vance explained. "David Rossi? I'm sure you've heard of him."

"Yeah, yeah he's a famous profiler. So what?" Gibbs stared angrily at Vane. "I told you, I don't need their help."

"They're here now Agent Gibbs and I want you to utilise their talents," Vance ordered. "They're said to be some of the most brilliant minds in the world. They can help you with this case. I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't take them more than a week to finish this for you."

"Are you saying I _can't_ solve this?" Gibbs questioned.

"No, Jethro," Vance sighed. He sat down and rubbed his forehead. "I'm tired, you're tired. We're all tired. They've seen crimes that we can't even imagine. I think they've got a handle on this more than you do. They aren't here to undermine you. They're here to help. Think about it Gibbs."

Gibbs looked at the door in irritation and then sighed. "Alright. I suppose we can't send them back to Quantico since they've already started looking into it. But profilers? Really?"

"Profiling works," Vance shrugged. Gibbs turned to leave and Vance smiled. "Oh and Agent Gibbs?"

"Yes?" Gibbs looked back at his boss.

"Play nice with Agent Hotchner."

Gibbs smiled.

* * *

**A bar in Washington D.C.; 11:36 am**

The man sat alone at the bar, looking around. His eyes didn't linger very long on anybody in particular. He had a bottle of Budweiser in his hand and he seemed intent on getting to the bottom of it. One look at his eyes would tell anybody that he appeared to have drank a few too many bottles of Bud that night.

He slouched forward against the bar and drummed his fingers against the wood before taking a long draught of his beer.

The bartender walked up to him and he raised his head.

"Another?" he croaked.

The bartender eyed him. "It's a little early to be drinking this heavy don't you think? It's not even noon yet."

"If it's too early, maybe you shouldn't be open," the man slurred angrily. "I want another one."

"No buddy, I think you've had enough. You should go home."

The man glared. "Give me another beer." It was an order this time and the bartender raised his eyebrows before looking over at his security guard who began walking over. The man glanced at the guard and pushed away from the bar.

"Alright," he mumbled as the guard reached him in time to catch him as he stumbled. "Let me go. I'm leavin'."

"Come on, buddy," the guard said, taking his arm again. The man snatched it back and nearly fell.

"I'm leavin' already! Sheesh." He stumbled towards the exit, the guard behind him. The man walked out of the bar and gave the security guard the finger as he walked backwards on the pavement. "And don't expect me to be comin' back!"

The guard rolled his eyes and walked back inside. The man turned and walked down the street, occasionally stumbling or bumping into someone. He was so drunk that he didn't even notice the figure in black that he passed beneath the awning of a shop.

The figure slipped out of the shadows and began to tail the drunk man.


	3. Sounds Like Guesswork

**I like this chapter because I got to play around with profiling techniques and facts. It was a lot of fun to write, plus I got to do a part with Reid and Abby (my favourite from each show (Abby being tied with Gibbs of course)). I hope you guys like this chapter because I do. Oh and as soon as anyone thinks they've figured it out, let me know. I wanna hear theories from my readers. Thanks!  
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**Enjoy :)  
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**NCIS; 11:45 am**

"Agent Hotchner," Gibbs called, walking over to the gathering. He cast a frown at the map that Reid had finished and also glanced at Garcia who was still setting up her three laptops with McGee's help.

Hotch stood up from where he and Rossi were going through the case with Ziva while Tony was going through crime scene photos with Prentiss and Morgan. They had stuck a lot up on the board. Reid was writing notes on the side. Gibbs was amazed at how much they'd done already.

"Please, call me Hotch," Hotch offered. "What can I do for you?"

"Was there anything your team needed?" Gibbs asked. He had said he'd let them help. Even though he really wished they weren't here.

"Reid?" Hotch asked. Reid looked over and Gibbs realised that Vance was right: he was very young and from looking at his eyes, highly intelligent.

"I was hoping I could see the letters that your were left?" Reid questioned. "Part of our profiling is linguistics and if I could see the wording and the way they write…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"Would we be able to see the letters? And any other evidence acquired from the scenes?" Hotch requested.

Gibbs nodded. "Sure, come down to the lab with me, Dr Reid," he said.

"Actually, I think I'll come too," Rossi said, standing. "You have your own morgue, correct?"

"Yes…" Gibbs frowned.

"I was hoping I could see any bodies that you still have and also see the reports written by the coroner."

"Of course. Come with us then." Gibbs looked at Tony, Ziva and McGee who were watching him. "Is there anything else?"

"I was hoping we could see the most recent crime scene," Hotch added.

"It's already been completely combed," Tony interrupted before Gibbs could say anything. With an exasperated look from his boss he fell silent.

"That may be true but none of your people are trained to look for the same things that we are," Morgan explained.

"Sure, Tony, Ziva, take them to the last crime scene," Gibbs ordered.

"Morgan, Prentiss, you go," Hotch ordered. He looked at Gibbs.

"Anything else?"

Hotch looked over at JJ who frowned thoughtfully.

"I would like to meet with any victims' families if that's alright, but I can organise those myself with your permission, of course," JJ explained.

"Go ahead, but I'd appreciate if at the interviews a member of my team was present," Gibbs explained. "McGee, if you're not busy could you go with Agent Jareau?"

"Sure thing, Boss," McGee replied.

"That's everything, thank you," Hotch told Gibbs. Gibbs nodded, trying not to let their control of his investigation annoy him. Hotch was watching him closely. "We're just trying to get a feel for this crime. We can't build up a profile unless we understand what's going on."

"I understand," Gibbs replied. "Agent Rossi, Dr Reid, if you'd come with me please."

Reid and Rossi followed Gibbs to the elevator. Gibbs looked at Reid.

"Director Vance told me your joined the Bureau when you were twenty-one," he said.

Reid nodded. "One of our old bosses, Gideon, picked me out of the academy."

"I've heard of Jason Gideon," Gibbs nodded. "But how did you get in so young? And what exactly are you a doctor of?"

Reid looked away and mumbled something. Rossi raised his eyebrows.

"He has three PhDs," Rossi explained. "What's gotten into you Reid? You're normally proud to tell people that."

Gibbs ignored the older agent's comment to the younger and instead looked at Reid. "You have _three_ PhDs? At your age?"

"He's working on number four," Rossi added.

"Is he a genius?" Gibbs asked.

"Something like that. He's more of a pain in the arse." Rossi grinned good naturedly at Reid who looked embarrassed. They stopped and Reid stepped out. Rossi gestured for Gibbs to go before him. "Reid's a brilliant kid," Rossi added quietly. "You're lucky to have him helping you out."

Gibbs glanced at Rossi with a frown. Before he could say anything they were ambushed by a young girl in a white lab coat.

"Gibbs! What are you doing down here?" she demanded. "You can't be down here! Not yet! I haven't got anything for you! You can't come down here unless I've already got something for you, it just doesn't work like that."

Reid took a step backwards and shot a shocked look at Rossi.

"Abby, I'm not down here for evidence," Gibbs explained. "These are SSA David Rossi and Dr Spencer Reid from the FBI's Behavioural Analysis Unit. Dr Reid wanted to look through our evidence."

"You mean what little evidence we have?" Abby blinked and looked at Reid and Rossi. "I didn't know we were getting the FBI's help."

"Vance," Gibbs explained. He walked past Rossi and Reid and pushed Abby gently back into the laboratory. "I want you to help Dr Reid in any way you can."

"But Gibbs-"

"No buts, Abs," Gibbs interrupted. "I'm taking Agent Rossi over to see Ducky. I'm leaving you with Dr Reid. Don't hurt him." Gibbs kissed Abby's temple and beckoned to Rossi as he walked back to the elevator. "Good luck Dr Reid."

Reid stared at Gibbs in shock at the elevator closed on Gibbs and Rossi.

"What did you mean 'good luck'?" Rossi questioned curiously. Gibbs smiled at him.

"You'll see when he comes back up," Gibbs explained cheerfully. "Abby is… exuberant to say the least. But she's brilliant. I think they'll get along just fine."

"Hmm, sounds like Garcia."

* * *

Reid turned back to the young lab girl and raised his eyebrows.

"Hi," he said tentatively, worried about what Gibbs had said. He was sure it was a joke but you could never be too sure, especially since he found Agent Gibbs harder to read than most people.

"Hi," Abby replied. "I'm Abby and this-" she gestured around- "is my lab. These are my babies. What can I help you with?"

"Um…" Reid tried not to be shocked by her loud appearance. She wasn't bright like Garcia, she was the opposite wearing dark clothes and she had tattoos and he sure she was wearing a black, leather collar with metal spikes around her neck. He was sure her skirt and dog collar had to be against NCIS regulations (though he supposed it didn't matter, the way Gibbs spoke to her it was obvious that she was his favourite). But for some reason her personality was almost the same as Garcia's.

Reid cleared his throat. "The reports said that the UnSub-"

"The what?" Abby asked.

"Unknown Subject, UnSub. It's what we call the people we catch," Reid explained. "Anyway our reports said that the UnSub left letters and notes for your boss?"

"Yeah, I processed them but they came out clean which is more than a little frustrating," Abby scowled. She gestured to a table with boxes on it. "This is all of our evidence, if you can call it that. I've gone over this a hundred times and you know what I found?"

"What?" Reid asked, frowning.

"A big, fat _nothing_!" Abby glared at the evidence. "But you're welcome to go over it. I don't think you'll find anything."

Reid shrugged and walked over. Abby handed him a pair of latex gloves which he pulled on absently while staring down at the objects recovered from the crime scenes.

"I look for different things than you," Reid explained. "I'm a profiler so I see things that indicate who the UnSub is."

"You mean like looking at a crime scene and seeing what the killer is like?" Abby asked. "I've heard of you guys. You chase some scary monsters."

"We do." Reid found the letters and he picked one up. "Is this the first one he left?"

"Yeah. It's addressed to Gibbs."

"Handwritten, that's good." Reid held it up and read it silently, mouthing the words.

"It's just rubbish isn't it?" Abby asked. "Nobody's been able to make any sense of it."

"I'll see." Reid picked up two more and then a photo of a word written in blood. "'Blame'?"

"Yeah, we didn't get it either." Abby shrugged as Reid looked at her. "I'll need some time with these. Do you mind if I take them up to the others when I'm finished down here?"

"Nope," Abby replied. "Knock yourself out, it's not like I'll get anything out of them. This guy sounds crazy to me."

"Actually the probability of a killer this organised being crazy is less than five to one," Reid explained. Abby raised her eyebrows at him and then shook her head.

"We only found a partial print on one of the things he left by the body," Abby explained. "It was a spiral but it was nowhere near enough to get a match from Aphis."

"Did he always leave things by the body?" Reid questioned, picking up several of the objects from the boxes. One was a watch, there were several notebooks with all of the pages torn out except for one page in one of them. This page had a date on it.

"The sixteenth of October 2005?" Reid asked.

"We don't know what that means," Abby explained. "We tried looking for things that had happened on that date but none of them seem…" She waved her hand around helplessly. "And to answer your question, yes, there were always things left at the scene."

Reid picked up a bagged shirt. "Did this have any hairs or fibres?"

"No. Like I said to you before we went over it all."

"Well, the killer didn't leave it there for no reason," Reid muttered. "And these notes for your boss. Maybe there's a connection in the notes. I might be able to find it. If these weren't left at the scene for clues then they're symbolic of something. This might be the UnSub's signature."

"Signature?" Abby questioned.

"It's a ritual," Reid explained without looking at her. "Something the killer has to do. I thought the post mortem shot to the head was his signature but this might be it."

Abby watched Reid with a frown.

"You look for some pretty strange things," she commented.

"To you maybe. But for us they're vital clues that help us find out why the UnSub did this which helps us find out who they are." Reid glanced at Abby. "You look confused."

"I'm a forensic scientist, my role relies on hard evidence. Your job is guess work mostly."

"No, it's science." Reid frowned. "You don't believe in profiling?"

"Not completely." Abby shrugged and then smirked. "But I might if you can convince me that it works."

"Huh?" Reid frowned in confusion.

"Prove to me that what you do works and maybe I'll believe in it."

Reid smiled. "Sure, I can do that."

* * *

**12:10 pm**

Tony pulled up the van in front of an abandoned warehouse and looked back at Prentiss and Morgan.

"This doesn't look like a very ceremonial dump site," Morgan commented.

"Disregard for his victims," Prentiss agreed as they climbed out of the van. Ziva and Tony followed suit. "So, walk us through the report?"

"Special Agent Johnson was walking home from the bank when he was grabbed," Tony explained. "It was on a crowded street but stunningly we didn't have a lot of witnesses. The few who did see something saw Johnson being guided to a large van by someone who looked like a friend, he had his arm around his neck."

"Probably had a knife to his throat," Morgan nodded. "Was Agent Johnson married?"

"Engaged," Ziva replied. "Six hours after the abduction he was discovered here by the building's owner. Shot five times with a pendent and a pen lying beside him and the word 'blame' written in his blood above his head."

"Blame?" Prentiss asked.

"That's not very specific," Morgan frowned. "Who's the blame for?"

"All of the previous letters were addressed to Gibbs," Tony offered.

"True, so what if the blame is for Gibbs?" Prentiss suggested. "I mean in this line of work you're bound to make enemies."

"But enemies who kill _other people_ not you or those you care about?" Ziva asked. "That doesn't make any sense to me."

"But it might to our UnSub," Morgan countered. "You're not trained to think the way we are."

"And how are you trained to think, Agent Morgan?" Ziva folded her arms.

"Like a killer." Morgan took off his sunglasses and frowned at her. "You look at a crime scene and you see the MO, the possible clues, the hard evidence and that's all you see. We look at the crime scene and we see the MO as a possible indicator of why this person died; was it personal or was it just situational? We see the clues and they tell us about the UnSub; did they put that there on purpose or does it have nothing to do with the mindset of the guy we're looking for? That's how we think, and we might see something in all of this that you can't."

Ziva and Tony exchanged shrugs.

"It sounds like guess work," Ziva explained.

"Most people think so," Prentiss replied. "Let's go inside."

As Tony and Ziva led them across, Morgan questioned them on the MO.

"Five gunshot wounds; four to the chest and one to the head post mortem," Morgan mused. "That's definitely personal."

"Splatter patterns say they were at point blank range," Tony explained.

"Definitely personal," Prentiss nodded. "The UnSub wanted to be close enough to see the victim die. But it wasn't as personal as strangling."

"So it's not sadism then," Morgan agreed. "It's not sexual."

"Of course not," Ziva replied. "There were no signs of sexual assault."

"There doesn't need to be," Morgan replied. "For sexual sadists the killing is the sexual release. Most of them don't need to sexually assault their victims because the kill is enough. But some just can't get enough of that release."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know that," he admitted.

"So it's personal," Prentiss mused. "But not sexual."

"A vendetta, maybe?" Morgan suggested. "Political?"

"No, the notes wouldn't be for Gibbs if it was political and I don't think our guy would have killed a marine to get the attention of NCIS if he was politically motivated."

"So, a vendetta then?"

"Possibly."

They entered the building then and Morgan put his sunglasses on his collar and stood in the entrance way. Prentiss stood aside and watched him. Tony and Ziva watched in confusion as Morgan closed his eyes.

"Right, I'm the UnSub," he murmured. "There are four entrances to this building. Which one am I most likely to take?"

"You have a two hundred pound man with you and you have to carry him in," Prentiss added.

"So I'm a big guy, then," Morgan murmured. "I can carry him in at any entrance. _Or_ I'm a little guy who has to drag him in, in which case I'm going to use the back entrance because I can drive into the yard and the fence is high enough that nobody can see me."

"What if he wasn't unconscious?" Ziva asked.

"No, I'm not likely to risk him making a run for it. As soon as I had him in my van, I knocked him out," Morgan disagreed. "I think that means I'm a little guy."

Morgan walked back out and around to the back of the warehouse, the others shadowing him with interest. He looked at the ground. There was disturbed dirt on the ground but that could have just been from the crime scene unit.

"Did you find any drag marks?" Morgan asked.

"No but there were spots of blood there," Tony explained. Morgan looked and followed the disturbed dirt pattern.

"I'm a little guy," he nodded. "Right so I have my victim, a full frown man who's bigger than me. I dragged him into the ware house and right into the centre where the sunlight is going to beam down on him for most of the day."

Morgan stood looking down at the blood patch. Markers were still up labelling where evidence was taken from.

"Do I kill him when he wakes up or before?" he muses.

"It's personal," Prentiss murmurs.

"So I'd wait for him to wake up. Pour water on his face." Morgan pulled out his gun and levelled with an imaginary person. "He'll try to stand but I shoot him once, twice, three times and then the fourth and he's still on the ground but this time he's dead. I place the items on his body but I'm still here because the final shot didn't come until an hour after death. He was almost cool by then."

"So before he leaves he leans down, looks into his victim's eyes and shoots him once through the head," Prentiss discusses. "That sounds like it has to be his signature. It's not necessary but he does it anyway."

"In that hour I take care not to leave any traces of what I've done," Morgan adds. "I check for fibres and hairs. I make sure nothing is left that can tie me to these crimes. Then I shoot him once more and leave."

"An organised killer if I've ever seen one," Prentiss agrees, looking around. Tony and Ziva exchanged shocked looks.

"You have all of that and you've only been working this case for about an hour?" Ziva asked.

"It's behaviour," Morgan shrugged. "So we have an organised killer, not a sadist and the crimes aren't sexually motivated. So does that make our guy a sociopath?"

Prentiss looked at Tony. "When found, did the victims have their eyes closed?"

"No," Tony replied. "You've seen the photos of the victims, right?"

"Yes, I just wanted to double check." Prentiss looked at Morgan. "This is confusing. There's not signs of sadism or sexual motivation but there's also no regret."

"It's too organised to be somebody on a psychotic break," Morgan muttered. "I agree, Prentiss, there's something wrong here. I hope Reid's gotten something from those letters that tells us why this UnSub is doing this because I've got nothing."

Prentiss nodded sadly while Tony and Ziva felt as though the BAU wasn't really helping them at all.


	4. Psychotic or Psycopath?

**This chapter's a little shorter than the last but it's got a big clue in it as to what's going on and I get to have Garcia work some of her magic in this chapter plus an allusion to an episode in... the 1st season of Criminal Minds I think where they're eating dinner together at a Chinese restaurant :P I love Reid, he's so cute :) Enjoy everyone :)**

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* * *

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**NCIS, Morgue; 12:19 pm**

Rossi sat, reading over the reports written by Dr Mallard, nicknamed Ducky by his co-workers. They were detailed enough for the old profiler and he had gathered enough to know that this killer was not a sexual sadist but they also showed no remorse for their crimes.

"I wonder if this is somebody on a psychotic break," Rossi mused, then pondered that statement. "No, it's too organised. Somebody abducting on crowded streets… you can't do that if you're having breaks from reality…"

Then something occurred to Rossi and he stood up.

Ducky looked at him curiously.

"Is something the matter, Agent Rossi?" he questioned.

"Um…" Rossi frowned. "I heard you had psychology training, Dr Mallard. You profile?"

"Sometimes, not like you do," Ducky replied. "Why?"

"Let me ask you, does this seem like the work of somebody on a psychotic break or the work of a psychopath?" Rossi waited as Ducky frowned.

"I can't say for sure," he replied. "I didn't think anybody on a psychotic break would be able to… organise murders that are stumping really great investigators."

"That's what I thought. Excuse me." Rossi left and got in the elevator. He got out at Abby's laboratory and walked in. Reid was sitting at a table, going through evidence. Right where Rossi thought he'd be.

Abby looked up.

"Agent Rossi?" she asked.

"I need to speak with Reid," Rossi explained. He walked over to the young profiler who looked at him curiously. "Reid, Hotch told me once about a man you caught. His name was Randall Garner?"

"The Fisher King?" Reid questioned. "I remember. He thought I was Sir Percival. Why do you ask?"

"Well, like you just said, he thought you were a knight of the round table, he thought the whole team was," Rossi explained. "He was clearly suffering heavy psychosis and yet he managed to weave his net and make you play his game. So he was organised, correct?"

"You could say that," Reid agreed. "Why? Do you think it's the same case here?"

"Well none of the victims show any signs of torture or sexual assault so that rules out a sexual sadist. I mean they could still be a psychopath but there's just no torture. No overkill. Nothing to suggest somebody enjoying the death of their victim."

"So you're thinking a psychotic break but it's far too organised," Reid finished. "I see what you mean. But this is completely different to Randall Garner. He was suffering from a delusion that he was giving us a quest so he was able to get people to help him and to set it up. This is completely different."

"I know but I was just trying to work the theory that this might be the work of a delusional individual."

"It's a good working theory." Reid's phone rang and he picked it up. "Yeah, Morgan? Hang on I'll put you on speaker, I'm here with Rossi and NCIS's forensics girl Abby."

"Hey Rossi," Morgan greeted. "Prentiss and I were at the scene. We figure that this is not the work of-"

"A sexual sadist," Rossi finished. "I came to the same conclusion from Dr Mallard's reports."

"Do you think it could be somebody suffering severe psychosis?" Prentiss asked.

"We're trying to figure that out," Rossi explained. "I'll go see Hotch about it." He turned and walked away and heard Reid ask Morgan about the crime scenes. He was asking about how 'blame' had been written.

Before he could get in the elevator, Reid caught up to him, carrying the letters from the UnSub and the photo of 'blame' written in blood.

"I need a whiteboard," Reid explained. "Do you think they'll give us another one?"

"I hope so since your map took up most of the board we already have," Rossi replied. The elevator dinged and Gibbs was standing in it.

"I was coming to see you," he explained. "Find anything?" He sounded doubtful.

"Maybe," Reid replied. "But I have to look at these first. Do you think you could get us another whiteboard where I can make notes? And do you have any copies of these that I can write on?"

"There should be some in the files," Gibbs explained. They stopped at the main floor and he looked at Reid as they walked out. "They've been typed up so you won't have the handwriting."

"That's okay, our UnSub has messy writing," Reid explained, showing Gibbs the blood stained notes. "I'll look at the handwriting once I've looked at the words. It sounds like rubbish but I think there might be messages hidden in the text. Excuse me." He hurried over to Hotch who was going through the files with McGee while Garcia was looking through stuff on her computer.

"I'm looking for connections in the victims," Garcia explained to Rossi when he and Gibbs got closer. Reid had found his printed copies and Gibbs asked an agent to bring him another white board.

"What have you found?" Rossi asked. She couldn't answer because Hotch spoke up.

"Dave, Morgan and Prentiss are on their way back," Hotch explained.

"Where's JJ?" Rossi asked.

"On the phone to a local news station, she's trying to get them to stop reporting the stories. We're afraid it might aggravate this killer if he keeps hearing that the police are doing nothing. We think it might be a vendetta killing," Hotch told him. "And then she and McGee are going to go and interview Special Agent Johnson's fiancée."

"Right." Rossi looked at Garcia who beckoned to him. Gibbs and Rossi looked over her shoulder to her computer.

"Right, so far there's no major connections," Garcia explained. "Several of them go to the same bars, three have memberships to the same library and only four were married, one engaged and the other three single as far as I can tell. They go from white to black to Hispanic and their jobs vary as well."

"So victimology is all over the place?" Rossi asked.

"Not entirely," Garcia explained. "I was a little confused too because you're always saying how important victimology is."

"The first questions you ask at a crime scene," Rossi muttered. Gibbs looked at him questioningly. "Why this victim? Why this time?"

"Oh," Gibbs replied. "Serial killers normally have a particular kind of victim. That had us confused too."

"Well the only rock solid connection I found was that every single one of these men use the same bank," Garcia explained. "Is that helpful?"

Rossi frowned. "It could be."

Reid turned around and looked at Rossi who frowned at him. "Yes Reid?"

"Is that the only connection?" he asked.

"We're sure," Garcia replied. "Why?"

"Well, it was in one of the notebooks," Reid explained. "A date."

"The sixteenth of October 2005," Gibbs murmured. "You think it's important?"

"Well it was handwritten and every other page had been torn out."

"That screams important," McGee spoke up. "Don't you think boss?"

"So you want me to cross reference the bank and that date?" Garcia asked. Reid nodded and she smiled. "On it, boy genius." Her phone rang and she answered it. "Hello my gorgeous hunk of profiler."

"Hey, baby girl," Morgan replied. "We're on our way back now. Have you found anything that might connect the victims and a vendetta by the UnSub?"

"Reid put me onto something just now and I've got it… right… here…" Garcia smiled. "What do you know, boy genius was right."

"I'm not surprised, Garcia, what is it?"

Everyone was looking now.

"All of our victims use the same bank and on the date that Reid found in the notebook there was an armed robbery," Garcia explained. "Two men with guns. Seven people were killed in the robbery and one of the men was carrying a 47 Magnum."

"Were they caught?"

"They were but then they were released on lack of evidence by… one Special Agent Gibbs," Garcia muttered, looking up at the ex-marine. "The case was handled by the collaborative efforts of NCIS and the FBI."

Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "So someone is killing these people because I released the robbers?" Gibbs asked. "That seems-"

"It's not crazy," Hotch interrupted. "Perhaps our UnSub had a family member killed in that robbery. Make a list of the victims Garcia and their families. Our UnSub could very well be connected."

"What exactly is an _UnSub?_" Gibbs asked, frustrated.

"It means Unknown Subject. It's what we call the people we try to catch," Reid explained.

"Why?" McGee asked.

"Most of the people we try to catch crave attention from the media and society in general since they've been denied it most of their lives," Rossi explained. "By calling every one of them an UnSub we don't give them an identity as a killer and therefore do not glorify what they're doing. It makes them easier to catch when they become frustrated about the lack of attention they are receiving from us."

Gibbs nodded slowly. "I see…" He frowned at Rossi. "How many times have you been married?"

"Three," Rossi replied with a frown. "How did you get that?"

"You seem like the kind of man prone to divorce," Gibbs explained. "Believe me, I know the type. I'm one of them."

"So, our UnSub is killing people who use the same bank?" Prentiss asked.

Garcia frowned. "I'll look into the suspects of the robbery."

"Thank you gorgeous, you're wonderful," Morgan told her. He hung up then and Garcia looked at the others.

"Good work, Garcia," Hotch told her. "Nice digging, Reid."

Reid shrugged and went back to the letters.

JJ entered the room then and she didn't look happy. "Hotch, we have a problem," she said.

* * *

**1:05 pm**

The man raised his head and blinked water from his eyes. It was light wherever he was and he could smell something strange. He still felt really hungover and he couldn't remember what had happened.

_Where am I?_ he thought. He shifted his position and barely had time to register the person standing in front of him before a shot was fired and he thought no more. The killer fired three more times and stared coldly at the man.

_No more,_ the killer thought. _I won't let it happen again…_

* * *

**NCIS; 8:09 pm**

Hotch walked over to where his team and the NCIS agents were still corroborating their findings. Gibbs was at his desk, eyes closed, looking rather frustrated. Hotch glanced at JJ and Garcia, looking over records; at Reid still going over the letters; at Morgan and Tony with the crime scene photos; at Rossi, McGee, Prentiss and Ziva with the reports. They were all working so hard.

"Guys, it's late," Hotch announced. They all looked up at him. So many times he'd wanted to ship them back to Quantico to protect them from what they were chasing. But now as he looked at them he realised how ridiculous that thought was. He couldn't protect them. They'd all seen too much to be protected.

"I'm almost there with these," Reid protested.

"We need to rest," Hotch argued quietly. "Especially you three and your boss. This case has been draining everyone emotionally. Tomorrow we'll come back, our minds fresh and we _will_ solve this case but now I think we should go and have dinner and then go home, and rest."

"Aaron, we're this close," Rossi said, holding his hand up, thumb and forefinger a centimetre apart. "If Reid can-"

"I know that Dave but we're tired," Hotch murmured. "Agent Gibbs, would you like to join my team for dinner?"

"No," Gibbs murmured. "I need to speak to Vance." He stood up and looked at Tony, Ziva and McGee. "Go and rest. Agent Hotchner is right. Tomorrow we'll get somewhere."

Hotch smiled slightly and watched as everyone stopped what they were doing and grabbed their bags. In ten minutes they were in the parking lot and they noticed Abby by her car.

"Hey," she said, surprised.

"We're going out to dinner," Hotch explained.

"Would you like to join us?" Reid offered. Abby smiled and agreed. Reid looked at Hotch. "Not Chinese," he requested quietly.

JJ and Morgan laughed and Hotch grinned.

"Okay, Reid," he replied. "Italian, anyone?"


End file.
